β-lactam antibiotics to tame down molecular pathways of Alzheimer's disease

Alzheimer's disease is a multifactorial disorder characterized by extracellular accumulation of amyloid-β (Aβ) and intracellular accumulations of neurofibrillary tangles. Numerous drug targets have been explored for therapeutic efficacy but failed to deliver successful treatments clinically. However, over the years our understanding of the disease pathophysiology increased significantly. Many of the novel targets which can cure or modify disease pathology are being explored preclinically as well as clinically. On contrarily, the drug discovery and development process is lengthy and the cost involved makes it difficult for faster translation of therapeutic outcomes. Therefore, repurposing existing drugs for a new therapeutic indication is considered a better approach and helps in the fast translation of therapeutic information. The existing drugs have well-proven records on their safety, pharmacokinetics, etc. In recent years, beta (β)-lactam antibiotics have been repurposed for the management of neurodegenerative pathologies. Here in the current review, we have explored β-lactam antibiotics, their target sites, molecular mechanisms, and their therapeutic potential in Alzheimer's disease.